Field
The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for adjusting a volume of engine noise heard in a cabin of a vehicle and, more particularly, for increasing the volume of engine noise heard in the cabin based on a downshift event.
Description of the Related Art
The experience of driving a vehicle can vary from person to person. Some people focus on the vehicle's acceleration, some focus on the noise of the engine, some focus on a combination of these and so forth. Furthermore, most drivers likely still notice features that they do not focus on. For example, a driver who focuses on acceleration may still notice the engine noise from time to time. As vehicle technology advances, some of these features that drivers focus on are becoming more and more difficult to notice from the cabin. For example, the noise reduction technology advanced to the point that the engine noise may be barely audible in the vehicle's cabin. Those drivers who focus on the engine noise during a driving experience may find the lack of noise undesirable. In certain situations, all drivers may find the lack of engine noise to be concerning.
The engine noise of a vehicle changes in volume and pitch as the vehicle performs various functions. For example, as acceleration is requested and the angular velocity of the engine increases, the volume and/or pitch of the engine noise may increase. Drivers with experience driving vehicles that have relatively little noise reduction may find the lack of noise corresponding to an increased angular velocity concerning. For example, they may be concerned that the engine and/or the transmission are not functioning properly. This may be especially true in situations in which the angular velocity of the engine rapidly increases, such as during a downshift of the transmission.
The angular velocity of the engine rapidly increases as a downshift occurs due to the effects of the higher gear ratio of the transmission. Thus, the volume of the engine noise of traditional vehicles increases rapidly as the transmission downshifts. However, the engine noise heard in the cabin of vehicles having certain noise reduction systems may not increase in volume as the transmission downshifts. This may be especially concerning to drivers who may think that the transmission is not operating properly due to the lack of change of volume of the engine noise.
Thus, there is a need for systems and methods for adjusting the volume of the engine noise heard during and after a downshift of a transmission.